Charles Dickens the hypnotherapist
Katrin Brunner
20. July 2023
The author of “A Christmas Carol” and “Oliver Twist” was also a keen proponent of mesmerism. A Swiss banker’s wife was a notable beneficiary of his mesmeric talents.
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Switzerland has been home to a number of soul searchers over the years, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Friedrich Nietzsche and Carl Gustav Jung. Developments in psychiatry and psychoanalysis have a close association with Switzerland, which is still in evidence today, for example the pioneering Rorschach test, Ludwig Binswanger’s Daseinsanalysis or Jung’s analytical psychology. To mark the 150th birthday of C. G. Jung, the National Museum Zurich is presenting its first comprehensive exhibition covering the history of the exploration of the human psyche in Switzerland. The main exhibit is the legendary ‘Red Book’ in which C. G. Jung made his notes during an intense spell of self-reflection. Art also helps open doors to the mind with visionary works by Johann Heinrich Füssli, Emma Kunz, Rudolf Steiner, Meret Oppenheim or Thomas Hirschhorn and, last but not least, Heidi Bucher, whose work ‘The Parlour Office of Doctor Binswanger’ sets an important accent. This provides a psychological panorama covering every region in Switzerland, in which the connection between mind and landscape is presented in impressive fashion.
The media conference on the exhibition is taking place on 15.10.2025 at 10:00 at the National Museum Zurich.
The media folder and materials are available for download from this date.
accessibility.sr-only.person_card_info National Museum Zurich press contact
National Museum Zurich
+41 44 218 65 64
medien@nationalmuseum.ch
- Overall management Denise Tonella
- Curator and Concept Stefan Zweifel
- Project direction Pascale Meyer
- Scientific collaboration Sophie Dänzer, Valérie Lüthi
- Scenography Alex Harb
- Exhibition graphic Martina Brassel
- Advisory committee Roman Aebersold, Günhan Akarçay, Heidi Amrein, Beat Högger, Sabrina Médioni, Denise Tonella
- Project controlling Sabrina Médioni
- Cultural services and museum education Lisa Engi, Vera Humbel, Tanja Bitonti
- Technical management Ira Allemann, Ladina Fait, Mike Zaugg
- Exhibition construction Ira Allemann, Raul Baumann, Marc Hägeli, Philippe Leuthardt, Julia Rusterholz, Dave Schwitter
- Conservation management Natalie Ellwanger, Ulrike Rothenhäusler
- Conservation and mounting of objects Chrigel Alder, Sophie Gomes, Iona Leroy, Sarah Longrée, Charlotte Maier, Véronique Mathieu, Jürg Mathys, Gaby Petrak, Tino Zagermann
- Object logistics and assembly David Blazquez, Christian Affentranger, Aymeric Nager, Simon d’Hollosy, Reto Hegetschweiler
- Loans Laura Mosimann, Cristina Kaufmann, Claudio Stefanutto
- Photography Jörg Brandt, Felix Jungo
- Picture library Ronja Eggenschwiler, Andrea Kunz, Fabian Müller
- IT | Web Alex Baur
- Media stations Thomas Bucher, Ueli Heiniger, Pasquale Pollastro, Danilo Rüttimann
- Video interviews Prismago, Adrian Kelterborn, Genevieve Chanel Mathis
- Audio guide Keller Thurgau
- Marketing and Communication Anna-Britta Maag, Sebastiano Mereu, Carole Neuenschwander, Alexander Rechsteiner
- Advertising graphic Roli Hofer
- Translations Laurence Neuffer, Camilla Nielsen, Giovanni Sorge, Caitlin Stephens
Special thanks - Familienarchiv Jung, Küsnacht
- Museum Haus C.G. Jung, Küsnacht
- Stiftung C.G. Jung Küsnacht, Küsnacht
- C. G. Jung-Institut, Zürich/Küsnacht, Bildarchiv
- Stiftung der Werke von C.G. Jung, Zürich
With the kind support of - UBS Kulturstiftung
- Aargauer Kunsthaus Aarau
- Privatbesitz Marco Witzig, Adliswil
- Dätwyler Stiftung, Altdorf
- Staatsarchiv Uri, Altdorf
- Fondazione Eranos, Ascona
- Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel
- Historisches Museum Basel
- Novartis Archive / Firmenarchiv Novartis, Basel
- Pharmaziemuseum der Universität Basel
- Adolf Wölfli Stiftung, Kunstmuseum Bern, Bern
- Archiv Hermann Rorschach, Archiv für Medizingeschichte der Universität Bern
- Pharmazeutisches Kontrolllabor, Bern
- Robert Walser-Stiftung Bern
- Schweizerische Nationalbibliothek: Schweizerisches Literaturarchiv, Bern
- Schweizerisches Psychiatrie-Museum Bern
- Anna Koellreuter, Biel
- Bündner Kunstmuseum Chur
- Collection Daniel & Natalia Hug, Cologne Germany
- Kirchner Museum Davos
- Rudolf Steiner Archiv Dornach
- Freies Deutsches Hochstift / Frankfurter Goethe-Museum
- Staatsarchiv des Kantons Thurgau (StATG), Frauenfeld
- Bibliothèque de Genève
- Centre Jean Piaget, Université de Genève
- John Neumeier Stiftung, Hamburg
- Ursula Hauser Collection, Switzerland
- C. G. Jung-Institut, Zürich/Küsnacht, Bildarchiv
- Familienarchiv Jung, Küsnacht
- Collection de l'Art Brut, Lausanne
- Kunstmuseum Luzern
- PZM Psychiatriezentrum Münsingen AG
- Bibliothèque publique et universitaire de Neuchâtel
- Kanton Schaffhausen, Staatsarchiv
- Stiftung Nietzsche Haus in Sils Maria
- Kantonsbibliothek Nidwalden, Nachlass Annemarie von Matt
- Nidwaldner Museum, Stans
- Albertina, Wien
- Österreichische Nationalbibliothkek, Wien
- Studio und Archiv Paul Parin & Goldy Parin–Matthèy, Wien
- Emma Kunz Stiftung, Würenlos
- Abteilung Entwicklungspädiatrie, Universtitäts-Kinderspital Zürich
- ETH-Bibliothek, Hochschularchiv, Zürich
- Felix Walder, Zürich
- Fischli Weiss Archive, Zürich
- Freud-Institut Zürich
- Graphische Sammlung ETH Zürich
- Kunsthaus Zürich
- LUMA Westbau, Zürich
- Medizinische Sammlung Universität Zürich - Institut für Evolutionäre Medizin (IEM)
- Museum für Gestaltung Zürich / Grafiksammlung und Kunstgewerbesammlung / Zürcher Hochschule der Künste
- Sabin Suetterlin, Zürich
- Stiftung der Werke von C.G. Jung, Zürich
- Stiftung Pestalozzianum/Forschungsbibliothek Pestalozzianum, Zürich
- Susanne Seiler, Zürich
- The Estate of Heidi Bucher, Zürich
- Zentralbibliothek Zürich
- Louise Bourgeois
- Heidi Bucher
- Aloïse Corbaz
- Guy Debord
- Marlene Dumas
- Fischli / Weiss
- Johann Heinrich Füssli
- H.R. Giger
- Charles Gleyre
- Thomas Hirschhorn
- Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
- Emma Kunz
- Robert Longo
- Heinrich Anton Müller
- Meret Oppenheim
- Elisabeth Pfenninger
- Giovanni Battista Piranesi
- Markus Raetz
- Arnulf Rainer
- Constance Schwartzlin-Berberat
- Erna Schillig
- Kerim Seiler
- Sophie Taeuber-Arp
- Paul Thek
- Annemarie von Matt
- Caspar Wolf
- Adolf Wölfli